1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus and, more particularly, to a heat roller of an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, types of image forming apparatus include a copier, a laser printer, a multifunctional device, or the like. Various types of image forming apparatuses, including laser printers, form an electrostatic latent image on a surface of a photoconductive drum, and fix a toner onto the electrostatic latent image, thereby forming a toner image. The toner image of the photoconductive drum is transferred to a recording medium. The toner image transferred to the recording medium passes through a fixing unit to be fixed thereto by predetermined heat and pressure.
The fixing unit includes a heat roller to generate heat, and a pressure roller contacting the heat roller to rotate therewith. The heat roller generally includes a heat pipe and a heat generating body in a heat transfer pipe. In addition, the heat roller includes end caps at both of its ends, and terminals fixed to the end caps. The terminals are connected to the heat generating body.
However, some of the image forming apparatuses have the following problems.
When the terminals are press-fitted into the end caps during assembly, the terminals may be abruptly bent during press-fitting to cause breakage or formation of cracks therein. In addition, such cracks formed in the terminal generate an arc when power is supplied, and when the heat roller is used for a long time, the arc may break the portions of the terminals in which the cracks have been generated.
Further, as the terminals may be severely deformed when the terminals are press-fitted, electric contact performance of the terminals remarkably deteriorates.